Even for those who have never been out on a boat of any kind, thoughts of the open ocean conjure up thoughts of massive waves crashing up on distant, or perhaps worse, on familiar shores.<\/p>\n
For boaters the phrase can sometimes bring to mind memories of personal adventures, nearly always exaggerated for effect when experiences are being shared,\u00a0especially\u00a0with non boating friends. \u00a0“You can’t imagine how big those waves in Plum Gut were last August. \u00a0They were breaking over the pilot house. \u00a0They had to be at least 6 feet. \u00a0Really, it was amazing.”<\/p>\n
In October a good friend was taking his boat to the Caribbean and he ran into a late season storm about 500km south of Bermuda. \u00a0 Yesterday I spoke to him on the phone and heard a bit about his experience. \u00a0He recounted that the waves were 25′ and very confused. \u00a0His crew were clipped on and yet were washed overboard only to stop short when they reached the end of their tethers. \u00a0 The boat was laid flat several times and their storm anchor\/drogue snapped it’s line. \u00a0Dick and his crew were successfully rescued by a passing freighter where they scrambled up a jacob’s ladder while his small 35′ sailboat Spring Moon, slammed against the ship while rising and falling 25′ with each passing wave.<\/p>\n
Thankfully, Dick and his crew were saved, a better fate than the husband and wife who were separated in the same storm when she was washed overboard and lost. \u00a0 It’s hard to imagine how it would be to experience such a loss. \u00a0 Not something that we, who love the sea and sailing, want to think about.<\/p>\n
This video is perhaps the best example of just how powerful the sea is and should certainly give those guys who brag about braving 6′ waves on Long Island Sound something to think about. \u00a0This is nature’s majesty in some of her greatest moments.